Teaching Kids to Quilt
After seeing an impressive quilt at a recent quilt show made by a 10 year old I was curious about teaching kids to quilt. I have a 6 year old who is very artistic but hasn’t shown much interest in my needlework pursuits yet. She doesn’t quite have the patience to sit still and learn a method that takes a lot of concentration even though she says she wants to learn. She is more interested in drawing and painting.
I did some searching to see what I could find to teach kids to quilt. Most sites said 8 years old is the age that you would start to teach to kids. Some of the projects included incorporating kids artwork into quilts either by them drawing/painting directly on the fabric or using a transfer method. I think my daughter would love to have her artwork made into a quilt and this would be a great way to preserve her early art experiences.
Here are some of the sites I found regarding kids and quilting:
HGTV.com had 2 articles - Leaf Quilting for Kids and Kids’ Quilting
The most extensive site I found was Quilting With Children by Heidi Craft. Here the site is broken down by age group including Kindergartners.
Also, Maria Peagler, on her blog, talks about teaching a couple of girls to make doll quilts and tips on teaching youngsters to use the sewing machine.
quilting, kids quilting, quilt education
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Donna -
Glad you found my site and the tips for teaching kids to quilt helpful. The key for a good experience in sewing with kids to make it simple enough that they can be successful. Let them take the lead as to what they would like to make and then simplify the project as much as possible. For example, I had the strips pre-cut for the quilts we made, saving the sewing for the kids. I did the cutting and pressing. Let me know how your project goes!